1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to diagnostic imaging support equipment that facilitates the observation of images obtained per a test by medical image acquisition equipment, such as X-ray CT and MRI (hereinafter referred to as “modality”), and other related images.
2. Description of the Related Art
The test images are managed according to a format specified by DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine). According to the DICOM-specified format, in one examination, one or more series of images are obtained. Each of these series has multiple images. On these test images, when an examiner (although the examiner is explained below, it may be a physician) interprets, makes a diagnosis, or creates a report, it is required to monitor the course of the past and the present for the imaged site. Generally in this follow-up, presently obtained series image data (refers to multiple image data by unit obtained by modality) is compared to reference images similarly based on a past series of image data. In order to compare both, the examiner specifies the past series image data for comparison and conducts a search. Thereafter, when comparing searched series image data, the examiner needs to adjust the imaging position and display simultaneously in parallel for observation.
On the other hand, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 2005-301453, link data (hyperlink information) is generated to retrieve the stored image data. Then, string data that represents the link data is affixed to the report, thereby making the related image data retrievable.
However, this was inefficient in that the examiner specifies and searches two series image data for comparison. In addition, even though the examiner could search two series image data for comparison and display them in parallel by synchronizing the diffraction angle and the imaging position for the first interpretation, when trying to reuse them for the next interpretation, there has been a difficulty in that the examiner needed to adjust the synchronization.
Now, the imaging position and its synchronization are explained. For example, a berth equipped with a subject by an X-ray CT device and X-ray imaging means are located at different relative positions to be imaged. At this time, the coordinate position of a certain site in the image, which is created by imaging the certain site, is referred to as a imaging position of the site. For example, Y0 refers to the longitudinal imaging position of the specific past imaged site, and Y1 refers to the present longitudinal imaging position of the same specific site in the image obtained in the same way as in the past. Assuming that the past imaging position Y0 of the specific site equals the present imaging position Y1, it can be said that the imaging positions are synchronized.
When the examiner compares images of specific sites in a patient that are presently obtained by a viewer with those obtained in the past for follow-up diagnosis, it is preferred to be able to easily synchronize the imaging positions for observation.